Think Positive Rockford
March 21st, 2008 at 10:50am Erin Werthman
In the five years that I have lived in Rockford, there is one thing that I’ve noticed that permeates throughout the city – Rockford’s negative attitude. Maybe it’s from the issues that have existed within our educational system, or economic decline that has occurred nationwide, or maybe it’s from an embedded attitude that the city can’t do any better. Whatever it is, I feel that it’s time for our city to have a change in mindset – this time for the better.
I am a believer that anything can change, even cities, if enough people are determined to make a difference and play their part. But the first step is having individuals believe they can have an impact, and change the way they think about the community. We need to look at the positives that Rockford has to offer, and talk about those areas, instead of reinforcing what we feel is wrong with the city. With enough people discussing the good instead of the bad, then maybe even the Rockford skeptics will start to believe that our city’s glass is actually half full.
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3 Comments Add your own
1. Phil | March 21st, 2008 at 9:37 pm
I couldn’t agree with you more, Erin. Our challenge is that negative opinions spread faster than positive ones. There’s an old saying in retail that “a customer with a bad experience will tell 10 others, while a customer with a good experience may tell 1 or 2 others”. To combat the negativity, we need more individuals telling the positive side of Rockford. We are lucky to have a great performance theatre downtown, a downtown arena/center, an outdoor park, a college theatre, parks galore, bike trails, terrific gardens, and highways for easy access. And I didn’t even scratch the surface of what Rockford and the Valley have to offer!
2. Raymond C. Garcia M.D. | March 24th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Not only does the Rockford area already have a lot to offer, it could offer so much more if we could get past the negativity you speak of! I believe Rockford has missed on some great opportunities for growth due to the defeatist attitudes and apathy.
3. Thaddeus Mack | March 24th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I mostly agree with your thoughts, Erin, and commend your very valuable attitude in this environment. However, we should ensure this positive attitude is built on something realistic and those things that are truly wrong with the city and need to change, should in fact change first. We have a theory in the architecture community, if you don’t build on a solid foundation, it will come crashing back down. I believe Rockford has so much to offer, and that we, the people, are the only way it will get changed and sold to those who have yet to see the beauty of this city.
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